5 Things We Learned from the Ubisoft E3 2014 Press Briefing!

Microsoft and Electronic Arts were the first two press briefings of the day on Monday. Ubisoft followed up strong with a wild show hosted by Aisha Tyler. The show itself was profanity laden and generally inappropriate for family audiences, but you could not help but get excited every time Aisha came on stage. She is one celebrity host who truly loves video games and it shows.

Here are some of the most important things families need to know from the Ubisoft press briefing:

First, the console version of the game will include a community participation feature. You will be able to upload video of yourself performing the dance numbers and be scored by the community. This is somewhat scary to me, but that is because I can’t dance worth anything. I can imagine that there will be a strong community built around this feature and it will be welcome!

Ubisoft also announce Just Dance Now which is a mobile version of the game that will be playable with your smart phone and any internet enables screen. The real key is that you will be able to join in on dance numbers that are being danced by an UNLIMITED number of players. That could lead to some very interesting experiences. (Most importantly, it shows that console developers are learning to use smart phones and free apps in the place of expensive peripherals. This could have a huge impact on gaming as time progresses.)

Racing games are always very popular when new consoles debut because they are a relatively quick way to show off graphical power. Ubisoft showed off a trailer where they drove across the virtual country in a few time lapsed minutes. The game looks absolutely astonishing, and will be a welcome addition to the next gen library of games.

3. Shape Up is an Xbox One exclusive exercise game that looks like a lot of fun!

Ubisoft has partnered with Microsoft to create a new approach to the fitness game genre. They have taken some of the core features of a successful workout and created bite sized game experiences around each of them. Each activity is recorded by the Kinect sensor and the video is saved online so you, or your friends, can challenge your best results!

This is a novel approach that may or may not work out, but Ubisoft is a big enough publisher to take some risks.

4. Valiant Hearts is the next game to be released on the UbiArt framework.

Valiant Hearts is slated to release on June 25th. So far every game released using the UbiArt framework has been stunning, and this is no exception. Even better, this looks like an excellent way for older children and teens to connect with some of the realities associated with World War I.

5. The Division looks like an amazing game to play… after the kids go to bed.

The game could be terrible, but the trailer alone is worth taking a look at. This is brilliantly done folks. Take a look!

What do you think about what you have seen so far? Sound off in the comments!